Passenger Held For Allegedly Harassing Female Flight Attendant Mid-Air; Obscene Note Found

A passenger was detained for allegedly harassing a female flight attendant on board an Air India flight from Dubai to Hyderabad, according to the police. The alleged incident took place while the cabin crew was providing in-flight services. The flyer, who is reportedly a software engineer from Kerala, allegedly touched the woman and was under the influence of alcohol at the time, RGI Airport Police said. After the aircraft landed, the incident was reported to the captain and ground staff. The crew filed a complaint and the passenger was booked for sexual harassment.

Passenger Booked Under BNS

Inspector Kankaiah Samapathi told PTI that the cabin crew noticed the man was intoxicated and allegedly touched the crew member while she was working. The incident was reported once the flight arrived in Hyderabad. The crew later lodged a formal complaint and the flyer was booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 74 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 75 (sexual harassment).

The accused, believed to be in his 30s, was arrested and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody.

Crew Found ‘Obscene’ Note On Seat

Upon landing, the flyer also claimed that he had misplaced his passport on his seat. When the cabin crew went to search for it, they allegedly found a note containing “obscene and abusive” remarks aimed at the staff, PTI reported.

Earlier this year, in June, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued a circular outlining the reporting procedure for unruly passengers. The DGCA said that all such incidents must be “immediately reported by the Chief of Flight Safety/ Director Cabin Safety (In Flight Services) within 12 hours via email.” It further stated that detailed written reports should be submitted to DGCA within 24 hours of the aircraft’s landing.